Latch for heddle frames



Nov. 3, 1931. J, WALKER, JR 1,830,684

LATCH FOR HEDDLE FRAMES Filed May 14, 1930 L IL 22 *1! IL fi n W i] & vv

Patented Nov. 3, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE .Torm wnnxm, .13., orinmost: max, rnnnsnvnm assrenon 1'0 wanna mergmernnme coumnv, me, Acoarom'rron on rnnnmvnmn LATCH FOR HEDDLE 1 Application filed May 14,1930. Serial No. 452,180.

The object of the invention is to provide improvements in latches ofthat type which are es ecially designed and particularly adapte for usein heddle frames of looms r for the purpose of operatively positioninthe heddle bars in' a definite predetermine relation.

In heddle frames which are generally of considerable length, it isnecessary to support the usual heddlebars intermediate of their ends andin relatively fixed relation with respect to the rails of the frames,yet this support must be of such character as to permit the heddles tobe readily shifted past the ponumbers as may be desired. 1

r Consequently, another object of the invention is to provide means forthe urpose mentioned in the form of bolts or ot or members, adapted tobe secured to the heddle frame rails, and an angularly movable elementcarried by each bolt and adapted in one position to retain one or moreheddle bars in operative position, while in another angular positionsaid element permits such bars to be withdrawn laterally from the bolt.1

A further, object is to provide a device of this character, which is adistinct improvement over the known prior art, due among other reasonsto the fact that in the present construction the bar-retaining element,after being released from its relatively. shallow latch-like engagementwith the bolt head, may be shifted with substantially no effort into adifferent angular position which permits the removal of the heddle barsat will and as leisurely as may be desired with both hands free, sincesaid retaining element is adapted to be yieldingly held in withdrawn oropen position as long as may be necessary by the same spring thatnormally holds it in operative or closed position, after which it may beas readily returned to its said closed position and again locked to saidbolt head, to prevent its accidental disengagement sitions of saidsupports whenever and in such.

therefrom and movement with respect thereto. Thus, the present inventioneliminates the necessity heretofore of manually forcing thebar-retaining element longitudinally into and holding it in open ositionagainst positive spring tension whi e the bar where are being withdrawntherefrom the heddles counted and shifted upon the liars to the desiredextent, and the bars finally replaced.

In fact, in the resent device no amount of longitudinal shifting of thebar-retaining element with respect to the bolt head will permit thewithdrawal of the bars, so that a wide angular movement of said elementis requisite to the accomplishment of this end. m

In addition to the foregoing, the present invention comprises furtherdetails of construction and operation which are brought out in thefollowing description, when read in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, in which Fi 1 is an elevational view of a heddle frame inwhich are employed barsupporting latches com rising one embodiment ofthe invention; iga 2 is an enlarged fragmentary portion of such frame,showing the major portion of one of the improved latches in sideelevation; Fig. 3 is a similar view, showing the bar-retaining elementof the latch in angularly withdrawn position; Fig. 4 is a section on theline 4-4: of Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is a section similar to Fig. 4, but

in the opposite direction and showing the retaining element slightlyshifted into the position in which it is no longer prevented by itsengagement with the bolt head from angu lar movement with respect tosaid head.

Referring to the drawings, a heddle frame is here shown as comprisingparallel oppositely positioned top and bottom rails 1 and 2, connectedat their ends by any suitable means such as straps 3. Pairs ofheddlesupporting bars 4 and 5 extend longitudinally of the frameparallel with and slightly spaced from the neighboring rails 1 and 2,

and operatively sup ort a series of heddles 6, only portions of w ichseries are shown.

Each of the rails 1 and 2 is provided at one or more intermediate pointswith a normally vertically extending bore 7 through which extends a bolt8, having a threaded shank,

and upon its outer end being preferably rovided with a thumb nut 9 orthe like, wii bears against a washer 10. Surrounding its inner end eachbolt is provided with a nut 11, which if desired may be countersunk intothe adjacent surface of the supporting rail, as clearly shown in Fig. 3.Beyond this lastnamed nut the bolt is surrounded by a suitable coilspring 12, which may be either cylindrical, conical, or otherwise as maybe desired, and which at its outer end bears ggfinst a washer 13 alsosurrounding the In the form of the device illustrated, the inner endportion of each of these bolts when operatively positioned is providedwith a transversely enlarged head, such as is shown in Fig. 4, and inthe preferred embodiment comprises an elongated flattened portion 14,from which extend in opposite directions pairs of wings 15 and 16, saidwing pairs being spaced apart yet connected by means of a transverselynarrower or reduced portion 17 of the bolt head. It is to be understoodhowever that these wing pairs, instead of being integral parts of thebolt itself, may be originally separate therefrom and secured thereto byriveting, welding, or otherwise, or one pair of such wings may beintegral and the other such pair originally separate but in racticeunitarily connected with the remamder of the bolt. The distance betweenthe similarly directed wings of the two pairs is but slightly largerthan the normal height of the heddle bars 4 and 5, so that these barsmay enter the spaces between adjacent wings, and thereafter while insuch operative position, as shown in Fig. 4, be prevented by said wingsfrom vertical movement or vibration, and be also prevented by the narrowportion 17 of the bolt head from approaching each other.

In order to prevent the heddle bars from becoming accidentally loosenedor shifted from their operative positions within the spaces provided forthem, they are normally restrained against lateral vibration and fromlateral movement in opposite directions by fingers 18, which depend froman element 19, which normally lies in close parallel relation with thebolt head 14, and which is provided at one end with an angularlydirected extension 20. This extension is normally between the washer 13and the adjacent end portion of the bblt head, said element and itsangular extension being provided with an elongated a erture 21 throughwhich the shank of the It extends with sufiicient looseness to permitsaid member to be moved angularly upon the wings 15 as a fulcrum intoeither of the extreme positions shown in Figs. 2 and 3, after which suchposition of .said element will be yieldingly maintained by the springuntil manually released therefrom.

The fingers 18 of the element 19 in addition to normally extendingacross the spaces between bolt head wings, are diagonally directedthrough said spaces in order that their free end portions 18"may when inoperative position engage the opposite surface of the wings 16,'somewhatsimilar to the construction of a double door latch. The element 19 isalso provided centrally with an elongated tongue 22 which normallyextends between a pair of heddle bars when in operative position, asshown in Fig. 4, in this position also extending well-beyond the freeend portion ofthe bolt head 14, and being. manually engageable for aslight movement as indicated by Fig. 5 into a position in which the ends1810f the fingers 18 become free from engagement with the wings 16, thuspermitting the bar-retaining member to be removed without effort intothe angular position shown-in Fig. 3,and releasing the heddle bars forwithdrawal in opposite directions from the bolt head.

Thereafter, the heddle bars maybe returned into their respectiverecesses and the member 19 again oscillated into its normal operativeposition in substantial parallelism with the bolt head, following whichmovement transversev and if necessary a slight diagonally upwardpressure upon the tongue 22 causes the finger terminals 18 to snaplatch-like past the wings 16, so that the spring can then force thebar-retaining element into the operative position shown in Figs. 2 and4.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to protectby Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A heddle bar support,comprising a 2. A heddle bar support, comprising a head portion having arecess adapted to receive a heddle bar, and an element angularly movablewith respect to said head in the plane of the heddle frame and in oneposition being operative to retain a bar in said recess, while ltermediate recess adapted to receive a heddle bar, and an element anularly movable. with respect to said head in tfie plane of the heddleframe and having a finger, said finger in one position of said e ementextending across said 5 recess and being operative to retain a bar saidhead and wing forming a support "for #Qla bar against movement in twodirections, "and an element angularly movable with re- 'spect thereto inthe plane of a supporting heddle frame, said element having a finger,andsaid element and its finger when in operativeposition forming anadditional support for the bar againstmovement in two other directions.a

6. A heddle bar support, comprising a head portion having a wing, and anelement angularly movable with respect thereto in the plane of asupporting heddle frame, said element having a finger, said element andits finger normally cooperating with said head and wing to form asubstantial closure adapted to receive a bar, which can be withdrawnfrom such closure upon the angular movement of said element.

7. A heddle bar support, comprising ahead portion having a wing. anelement angularly movable with respect thereto in the plane of asupporting heddle frame, said element having a finger, said element andits finger normally cooperating with said head and wing to form asubstantial closure adapted to receive a bar, which can be withdrawnfrom such closure upon the angular movement of said element, and meansto yieldingly maintailf said element and its finger in operativeposition.

8. A heddle bar support, comprising a head portion having a wing. anelement angularly movable with respect thereto in the plane of asupporting heddle frame, said element having a finger, said element andits finger nor- 55 mally cooperating with said head and wing to form asubstantial closure adapted to receive a bar, which can be withdrawnfrom such closure upon the angular movement of said element, said fingerbeing adapted to 69 latch-engage said wing, and a spring to yield-.ingly maintain said element and its finger in operative position.

9. A heddle bar support, comprising a head portion having a wing, saidhead and wing forming a support for a bar against movement in certaindirections, and an element angularly movable with respect thereto in-the plane of a supporting heddle frame, said element having a finger,and said element and its finger when 1n operative position com;

prising a restraining means to prevent a bar movin in certain otherdirections.

10. heddle bar support, comprising a head portion having a wing, saidhead and wing forming a support for a bar against movement in certaindirections, and an element angularly movable with respect thereto, saidelement having a finger which is in normal latch-engagement wlth saidwing, said element and its finger when in operative position comprisinga restraining means to prevent the movement of a bar in certain otherdirections.

.11. A heddle bar support, com rising a.

head portion having a wing, said sad and wing forming a support for abar against movement in certain directions, an element angularl movablewith respect thereto, said element aving a finger which is in normallatch-engagement with said Wing, said ele-- ment and its finger when inoperative position comprising a restraining means to preventthe'movement of a bar in certain other directions, and resilient meansto yieldingly maintain said element and finger in operatlve position.

12. A heddle bar support, comprising a head portion having a wing, saidhead and wing forming a support for a bar against movement in certaindirections, an element angularl movable with respect thereto, saidelement having a finger which is in normal latch-engagement with saidwing, said element and its finger when in operative position comprisinga restraining means to prevent the movement of a bar in certain otherdirections, and resilient-means to yieldingly maintain said element andfinger in any one of a plurality of angular positions including theoperative position.

13. A heddle bar support, comprising a shank, means to secure said shankto a heddle frame, a head carried by said shank and having oppositelydisposed recesses adapted to receive heddle bars maintained in spacedrelation by said head, and an element angularly movable inthe plane ofthe heddle frame and in one position being operative to retain such barsupon said wings against said head, and in an angularl related positionbein adapted to permit such bars to be remove laterally therefrom, saidelement when in operative position being latch-engaged with said head,and resilient means to yieldingl maintain said element in any one of aplural ity of positions as desired including the operative retainingposition.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

JOHN WALKER, J n.

recesses, while in another angular position said element permits thebars to be withdraw laterally therefrom.

16. A heddle bar support, comprising a head portion having a laterallyextendin shoulder and a laterally extending wing, an an elementangularly movable upon said shoulder towards and away from said headportion, and operative in one osition to secure a heddle bar against saihead and said wing.

17. A heddle bar support, comprising a head portion having a laterallyextending shoulder and a laterally extending wing, an

element angularly movable upon said shoulder towards and away from saidhead portion, and operative in one position to secure a heddle baragainst said head and said wing, and resilient means to yieldinglysecure said element in operative position.

18'. A heddle bar support, comprising a head portion having laterallyextending shoulders and a pair of laterally extending wings, and anelement, angularly movable upon said shoulders as a'pivot towards andaway from said head portion, said element in one position beingoperative to maintain heddle bars upon said wings against said head, andin an angularly related position being adapted to permit such bars to beremoved laterally therefrom.

19. A heddle bar support, comprising a head portion having laterallyextendlng shoulders and a pair of laterally extending wings, an elementangularly movable upon said shoulders as a pivot towards and away fromsaid head portion, said element in one position being operative tomaintain heddle bars upon said wings against said head, and in anangularly related position being adapted to permit such bars to beremoved laterally therefrom, and resilient means to yieldingly maintainsaid element in any one of a plurality of positions as desired includingthe operative retaining position.

20. A heddle bar support, comprising a head portion having laterallyextending shouldersand a pair of laterally extending wings, an elementangularly movable upon said shoulders as a pivot towards and away fromsaid head portion, said element in one position being operative tomaintain heddle

